Backfield

FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT BACKFIELD - PAGE 5

The call from the Evanston sidelines grew eerily familiar by the fourth quarter of the Wildkits` 13-9 loss at Deerfield Saturday. "Watch the second man through," various members of the Evanston coaching staff kept shouting. "The second man. Watch him." That second man, Deerfield halfback Geoff Shein, had most of the Wildkits` attention by the end of the afternoon, but it didn`t seem to matter. With backfield mate Barney Mansavage and linemen like Andy Price, Michael Adams, Andy Thompson and Jason Klimczak paving holes in front of him, Shein gained key first-down yardage for Deerfield whenever the situation grew crucial, leading the 18th-ranked Warriors (3-0)

Lightning struck twice Friday night in Hancock Stadium, illuminating Tinley Park's path to the Class 4A state football title. The underdog Titans, with 25 players on the roster and a quarterback who hadn`t worn a football helmet before August, scored on two dramatic runs within the first three minutes, then had more than enough to outlast Rock Island Alleman 21-15. All-state defensive back Brian Wise flashed into state tournament history with a 90-yard kickoff return to open the game.

The Bears were called for two false starts in the first quarter of Saturday night's first exhibition game. They should have been called for one Friday. The real false start involved quarterback Shane Matthews. Not only did the new coaching staff start Matthews, it played Matthews an entire 3-3 first half that grew as foggy and misty as the night. What a waste of precious time. What a charade. Are we really supposed to believe this is Matthews' job to lose? If it truly is, new coach Dick Jauron should already be a candidate to lose his. Jauron's future obviously is Cade McNown, for better or for worse, and McNown is plenty mentally tough enough to handle the toughest on-the-job training.

For the third time in a year, McHenry and Loyola will mix up pads and cleats on the football field. All that remains, heading into Friday's first-round Class 5A state playoff game, is for which team will the third time be a charm. That is anybody's guess. It was in last season's first round, when McHenry stopped Loyola 21-0 at the Warriors' McCracken Field, where Friday's game will be played. Loyola had won the 6A state title in 1993, lost in the '92 finals and made it to the Final Four in both 1990 and '91. Yet it would still be hard to call last year's playoff triumph an upset.

While safety Dave Duerson plays "Let's Make a Deal" with other National Football League clubs, the Bears are contemplating life without the four-time All-Pro. "That is beyond my control," defensive backfield coach Jim LaRue said of Duerson's contract impasse. "I just coach the ones they sign. Whoever gets here, I`ll try to coach," Veteran Maurice Douglass is the most likely to inherit the strong safety job if Duerson doesn`t stay with the Bears. "Maurice would do a good job because he has played well for us and has been a good leader," said LaRue.

Can anyone remember the last time Deerfield was not favored to win the Central Suburban League North Division title? "I can`t," says Deerfield coach Paul Adams. It's been so long that the league's coaches are almost apologetic about picking someone other than the Warriors. "This will be one of the few times I can say Glenbrook South has more material than Deerfield," says Waukegan West coach John Neff. "And that's not to take anything away from Deerfield." Only four seniors started for Glenbrook last year, when the Titans upset Deerfield in the final regular-season game to win the league title.

Darren Lewis says it is no big deal. Richard Fain also is trying to shrug it off. But two of the Bears` four new starters Sunday will be starting for the first time in their young NFL careers. Lewis gets the nod over veteran running back Neal Anderson when the Bears travel to Tampa Bay. Fain will start at right cornerback in place of Lemuel Stinson. The other two new starters-free safety David Tate and outside linebacker Ron Cox-have heard their names announced in pregame introductions.

BY BILL JAUSS. Bill Jauss is a former Tribune sports reporter | May 30, 2006

Charles V. "Chuck" Mather wore many hats. He was an athlete, football coach, teacher, mentor, insurance executive, husband, father and loyal friend. More than anything else, however, Mather will be remembered as the man who modernized coach George Halas' Bears, thus helping them win the 1963 NFL championship. Mather died Monday at his home in Wilmette. He was 91. Survivors include a daughter, Nancy, and a son, George. Services are pending. Mather already was respected as a successful coach and innovator when he left his head-coaching job at Kansas to join Halas' staff as backfield assistant coach in 1958.

Former coach J.W. Smith was sitting in the stands Sunday instead of roving the sidelines for Julian at Gately Stadium. Torrance Garfield, Julian's all-state quarterback from 1989, was down in Tyler, Texas, entering his freshman year at Tyler Junior College. Whether the defending Public League champions missed one more than the other was debatable, but the outcome of the Jaguars` 1990 opener against Robeson was certainly not open to discussion. Robeson's beefy defensive line almost spent more time in Julian's backfield than any of the Jaguar backs, as the Raiders posted a 14-0 victory to avenge two losses to Julian in `89. Defensive tackle Alfred Lloyd Bickham, a 6-foot-3-inch, 240-pounder with deceptive speed, sacked Julian quarterback Earl Sykes four times, while his teammates added four more sacks, giving the Jaguars negative net yardage for the afternoon.

He played in the National Football League for 10 years. He played in two Super Bowls in the heyday of the Oakland Raiders. From all the thousands of kids with their playground dreams of being a pro football player, Mark van Eeghen saw all of his come true. So it's a little surprising that when you ask him what meant the most to him in his long football career, it was not playing for the Raiders. Not playing for John Madden or being around Al Davis, two of the biggest names in the pro game.